Late for the Wedding Read online

  She brushed moisture from her face and realized she was crying. She pillowed her head on her arm, the roof supporting her as she wept.

  “Hey, lady, you okay?” A gentle hand gripped her shoulder.

  This time the questioner stopped to listen.

  She looked up into scorching blue eyes so bright they could have been a propane flame. Her skin warmed, and her pulse leaped as if it recognized the message in them. They promised heat and comfort and strength like the hand on her shoulder. He’d pulled his knit hat down over his forehead, and his lower face was covered with dark stubble that matched his thick black eyelashes. His hands were splotched with grease, and he smelled like oil and fuel fumes. His quilted jacket was stained and patched, his boots wet and cracked, but he exuded strength and caring.

  She swallowed. Her mouth was suddenly dry. Another fixer-upper, like her ex, she briefly thought, although with those gorgeous eyes he might be worth the trouble. What a crazy idea. She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  “You should have someone look at that,” he said before he frowned. When his finger lightly touched her face, the zing made her breathless. “That’s a nasty bruise on your cheek.”

  “I guess I’m still numb,” she mumbled. Her hand itched to press his fingers tight against her skin. So his eyes were sexy, she decided. And she wanted to snuggle into those strong arms. She must be in shock. She’d never had a reaction like this to a male in her life.

  “That won’t last. You should get an icepack from one of these emergency workers.” His voice heated her nerves like a low fire. A slow smile curved his lips. He scooped a handful of clean snow from the car roof and compressed it into a pad he held against her skin. “Hold this against that bruise for a few minutes to keep down the swelling.”

  “Thanks.” She nodded. His warm hand was a startling contrast to the icy pack. She resisted the urge to hold it tightly and not let go.

  He eased slowly away as if he shared her need. His bright blue eyes gleamed with heat, and she shook her head to clear her thoughts.

  “I hate to interrupt when so many are badly hurt. Who are you?” she asked. Her voice sounded almost normal.

  “I’m Nick, Nick Burnes. I’m driving a tow truck. The police called us to remove the disabled vehicles from the road,” he answered. Again his voice plucked at her heart.

  He gestured over his shoulder at a huge tow truck. Its motor rumbled like a hungry lion. Warning lights flashed orange across the blanket of snow.

  She blinked. How had that noisy thing arrived without her noticing?

  Her shaky hands fumbled for something to hold on to, and she found his muscular arm. It felt like an iron bar. He slid his other arm around her waist when she sagged. Suddenly her entire body ached. A headache blurred her vision.

  “You need to sit down. You’re whiter than this snow. Let me help you.” He eased her to a seat on the running board of the tow truck.

  “I’m okay,” she assured him. “Just surprised. It all happened so fast.”

  He crouched in front of her. His blue eyes were too bright to be real, she decided. “Do you wear colored contacts?” she mumbled and he jerked in surprise.

  “Certainly not.” His black eyebrows slammed together in a frown.

  Nick wondered if this totally gorgeous woman was a world-class flake. Or maybe she was in shock. People reacted in different ways to an accident. His gaze flicked toward the wreckage of her compact car and back.

  Despite her weird question and bruised cheek, her pupils looked normal. Her green eyes glinted emerald. He carefully brushed her wet hair from her forehead, looking for more bruises. Her skin felt rose-petal soft and the scent of vanilla wafted from her tangled hair. His mouth watered at the idea of tasting her curved lips. Would they be spicy or sweet?

  He snatched his hand away. Where had that thought come from? He was here to do a job, not find a hot date.

  “My brother has the same color eyes,” he said and cleared his throat. “Runs in the family.”

  “Can we get my car fixed? I need to be in Boston for my sister’s wedding.” She rubbed a hand over her wet face and cast a worried look at her damaged car. The front fender was crumpled and it listed sideways.

  Nick took off his knit hat and ran his hand through his tangled hair. “I can tow it into our garage. That’s about thirty miles from Boston. You’ll need to get a cab from there.”

  “That works for me. Let’s get going.”

  Nick sighed at her sudden take-charge attitude. “Look, lady, the police give me directions on who to tow. I’ll clear it with them. Then I need to load another vehicle in order to make the trip worthwhile.” He almost laughed at her wide-eyed stare, although his heart thumped like a trapped rabbit.

  “I’ll wait. I want you to take me to the garage,” she murmured. Her soft reply made his throat dry. He wanted to take care of her problems. She wouldn’t be driving alone on such a miserable night unless she needed a strong man in her life.

  “Are you married? Should you call your husband?” he blurted.

  “No,” she shook her head. “I’ll wait until I know more before I call my mother. She’s waiting for me in Boston.”

  He inhaled and backed away, waving her to stay seated. His throat felt tight and dry. He certainly wasn’t about to volunteer. He shook his head. It took him a few minutes to find a police officer and get clearance.

  Her purse sat on her lap when he returned. He helped her into the truck cab and ignored her slender shape. Snow fell at a steady rate while he backed his truck into position, locked on the chains, and dragged her compact car onto the platform.

  He jumped inside and held his hands in front of the heater vent.

  “Looks like you’ve got a flat tire and damage to the front suspension,” he explained.

  The stink of spilled fuel and burned rubber made her cough. She was shivering from the cold when she twisted around to peer at the car. “The windshield is cracked, too.”

  “And the passenger-side window is shattered,” he added. “I duct-taped plastic over the opening to keep the seats dry.”

  She clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle a shriek. “The wedding dresses! Oh my goodness, are they damaged?”

  He put his hand on her arm to keep her from scrambling out the door. “Let me look when I check the chains. There’s nothing you can do if they are damaged.”

  “My sister’s getting married tomorrow.” Tears filled her beautiful emerald eyes and overflowed like a spring pool. His chest ached to hold her tight, to shelter her. His shoulders stiffened with shock. He never felt this way about the women he dated. He’d never needed to care.

  “Listen, lady, I’ll get you to the garage and call a cab,” his voice sounded raspy. “You’ll be at that wedding in plenty of time.”

  Her eyes brightened. Cut emeralds couldn’t shine brighter.

  “My name’s Heather,” she said. “Please call me by my name.”

  “Yeah, okay. I’m Nick. My brother owns the tow company, and I’m filling in for him tonight.”

  Heather rubbed her hands together. “I’m so cold. Can you turn up the heat in the cab?”

  “Yeah. I’ll get that other vehicle loaded, and we can head out. You’re lucky. That driver is headed to the hospital.”

  She checked her cell phone signal while she waited. One bar. Well, it wouldn’t do any good to call her parents or Rosemary. They’d panic and like Nick said, there was nothing anyone could do.

  Nick swung into the cab. “Hey, lady, ready to head out? Can’t do much if you need a pit stop. Hope you can wait?”

  He removed his quilted jacket after he closed the door. His tight blue sweatshirt revealed wide chest muscles and his strong biceps along with a dark coffee stain to her interested gaze. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Physically, he fit her fantasy of the perfect male, but if he called her lady once more she’d slug him. The accident had made her irritable, and his manners lacked a certain style. She wasn’t interested in another man who needed to be fixed.

  “I’ll be fine. You said it wasn’t far to your garage.” She nervously bit at a torn fingernail. “Didn’t you?”

  Nick kept staring out the windshield to resist his need to study her delicate face and full lips. “Maybe you should remove your coat. I’ve got the heat cranked up,” he said. He realized he didn’t want her to reveal her shape when she slipped off her coat.

  His mouth watered when he cast a glance sideways. In the dashboard light, her emerald-green knit sweater matched her eyes and clung to her figure like saran wrap on peaches.

  “That’s better,” she agreed and fastened her seatbelt.

  He bit back a groan. If he was looking for a hot date, she’d fit all his requirements—old enough to be entertaining without being giggly, sexy in a subtle yet mouthwatering way, and intelligent. Whoa. Take that back! He had enough dates. He didn’t want a nice girl who shouted family and commitment from the rooftops. He turned up the volume on the radio.

  The Boston station gave a weather update. The storm had stalled, and snow would continue through the night. Twelve to eighteen inches predicted.

  “The snowplows aren’t keeping the road clear,” he complained. Anything to get his mind off her feminine attributes.

  “I’m sure they’re doing their best,” she said in a soothing manner.

  Irritated by his thoughts, Nick slammed his fist on the wheel. “It’s barely winter, and we’re getting hammered with this stuff. I could have been in my place, eating take-out, and watching a movie with my date.”

  For some reason, he wanted her to know he wasn’t interested. He rejected his growing awareness of her.

  “Beer and pizza, with an action movie, I bet. Too bad, I guess.” She nodded as if the idea agree
d with her.

  “You forgot the pretty girl,” he added. That should make it really clear.

  She hummed a response he didn’t quite catch.

  Several rutted and icy inches crunched under the big tires, and he kept in the center lane. Stuck cars had been abandoned beside the route and offered an additional hazard, along with any driver hiking to an exit.

  The traffic had thinned to an occasional pick-up truck or four-wheel-drive vehicle. “Stupid drivers. Don’t they listen to the weather reports? Or have the wisdom to stay off the roads?” he grumbled.

  She flashed him a sharp glance. “That includes me. I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

  He shrugged while he carefully steered. The heavy tires whined on the wet pavement. He turned the blower higher as the windshield fogged from their joined breath. His nostrils twitched at the scent of vanilla and spice.

  “Do you have something to eat back there?” He gestured at the rear seat. “I smell food.”

  “That’s me. I baked a basket of cookies fresh for the wedding. I’d give you some, but they’re in my car. I hope they don’t get soggy before I get there.” She gave him a hopeful look. “We’ll be there soon, and you’ll drive me into the city?”

  “Good luck with that, lady. I have to haul as many cars as I can into the garage. My brother’s depending on me. I’ll be working until dawn,” he explained, wanting to escape those soft spring-green eyes. “Or later.”

  She nibbled on her lower lip and his gut tightened. He was tempted to taste that tender morsel, very tempted. He straightened his shoulders. She wasn’t his type. No sir, not at all.

  Vanilla filled the air. She stretched her legs out so her feet were directly under the heat vent. He locked his hands around the steering wheel. He wasn’t giving in to the temptation to draw her close and share the heat building in his body.

  The short drive to the garage never took so long, and he was sweating by the time he opened one set of heavy doors and drove inside.

  “Your car will be first in line for service in the morning.” He looked at the surrounding landscape before he helped her alight from the truck. “Or maybe not. If this snow keeps falling, businesses will cancel until after the holiday. You might be stranded.”

  She gave a shrill shriek. “I have to be at the wedding! I have the bride’s gown!”

  “Hey lady, don’t worry. She can wear anything.”

  “Don’t call me lady!” Heather swung her fist at his shoulder.

  He caught her hand in his strong fingers. His blue eyes sparked with impatience, and he pulled her closer when she struggled to get free.

  “Nuh-uh, not until you calm down,” he muttered.

  ****

  She glared up at his expression and hissed a warning. While he ignored her anger, his gaze moved over her face to land on her lips. They heated like he’d used a blowtorch. Desire exploded though her.

  His head dipped and she leaned closer. Her lips felt so sensitive, his breath rocked her. She’d never felt this deep longing, not even with her ex. Probably the reason he was her ex. His mouth fit to hers like a mated glove.

  Her eyes drifted shut when his arms slid around her waist. His broad chest pressed against her soft curves, and pleasure rocketed along every nerve in her body. She thought she’d melt like an icicle in the spring. Despite her better judgment, he felt like the perfect match. This close, his skin gave off a male scent she would recognize anywhere. She inhaled to fill her lungs.

  Her hands griped his broad shoulders, her fingers clinging to keep her upright.

  The storm outside was nothing compared to the wrenching chaos caused by his kiss. A nibble at her lower lip, a trail of kisses to her brow, and finally his forehead pressed to hers. Heather regretted his slow withdrawal. She opened her eyes, stunned by her passionate response.

  She never did anything impulsive or lost her temper. A warm flush rose up her neck to her cheeks.

  “Wow! La…umm… Heather. You pack a punch. And I don’t mean with your fist.”

  She blew out a shuddering breath. “Thanks. I think. I’m sorry I lost my temper. It’s been so stressful with my sister being deployed and needing me to help get everything ready. I want the wedding to be perfect for her.”

  His hands slipped from her waist, and she missed his warmth when he stepped back.

  “Family, that’s important,” he agreed and frowned.

  She looked at him expectantly.

  “Hey, I told you. I have to finish the job tonight. For my family.”

  “I’ll pay you,” she shot back. “It’s only thirty miles. You said so yourself.”

  “My brother has a contract. The terms are clear. His truck has to be out working, and I’m the only one available tonight. His regular driver took a long weekend and is in Chicago. The baby wasn’t due for another three weeks, so he gave the part-timers four days off. No argument.” He gave a chopping motion with his hand. “You phone for a cab. I’m calling to see how the baby is doing.”

  ****

  Nick swallowed the urge to pull her back into his embrace. Her sweet taste clung to his lips, but he needed to keep focused. His brother’s business couldn’t survive losing this contract.

  Ignoring her disappointed expression, he turned his back and hit speed dial. He wasn’t going to let her get to him. Vanilla drifted on the air and made his nose twitch.

  “So? What’s happening?” he asked.

  Jake cleared his throat. “She’s having contractions again. She insisted on waiting in the lounge instead of heading home. Thanks goodness. The roads are so bad I’d have been delivering the baby at home. Or in the car.”

  “You’d manage.” Nick stifled a snicker. He glanced at Heather. “Think of the story you’ll tell your grandchildren.”

  “That’s not funny. She’s pacing again. The doctor told me to let her walk, but she’s already worn me out. I can’t even get a cup of coffee ’cause she can’t have one.”

  Nick laughed out loud. He couldn’t hold it back.

  Heather blinked at him, and then her lips curved upward. His pulse gave a funny jump. Her smile did things to him. Nice things.

  He ended the call with a promise to check in again soon.

  “When’s the taxi going to get here?”

  “It’s not. They said the highway is so bad the police are telling them to stay off.”

  “Call another,” he instructed. “I have to get the truck unloaded and head out. You can wait here for them.”

  He pointed at the tiny office boxed against the rear wall. Glass windows allowed the office worker to keep an eye on the activities in the garage. The gray metal desk, computer, and chair were the only furniture. A tiny electric heater sat on a work bench alongside a coffee pot.

  “Oh no. I already called three cab companies, and they all said the same thing. I’m going with you. If you finish early, you can take me to the hotel. I’ll pack everything for the wedding in the truck. It has a wide back seat.” His heart lurched when her lips firmed after she put her hands on her hips. He blinked to keep his gaze from following her gesture.

  “You can’t come with me! This job is dangerous. And you’re not dressed for the weather.” When he eyed her slim pants, fancy sweater, and high-heeled boots, his mouth dried. She was dressed for a date, not an all-nighter in a tow truck.

  “I’m not waiting here. At least that monster truck is plowing right through the drifts.” She pointed a slim finger at his chest, and he pictured her tracing it up and down his ribs. His eyes glazed over, and he shook his head.

  The truck cab wasn’t big enough to spend the next five or six hours with Heather. If he spent that long smelling her delicate scent, remembering her kiss, and thinking about touching her, he’d go mad.

  He tried to think of a convincing argument, but his mind blanked. After a long minute, she nodded at his silence.

  “I’ll drop you off at a motel,” he blurted.

  “I don’t think so.” She rubbed her arms. “I’d bet they’re all full, too. At least the ones close to the highway.”

  Nick groaned, not bothering to muffle the sound. “Okay, okay. You can come with me. But don’t complain when we’re wet and cold and stuck behind a line of cars for the rest of the night.”